Upper CornellMarkham
The neighbourhood has 8,304 residents and lies in Markham. It is one of the 22 neighbourhoods that make up Markham.
Is Upper Cornell a good place to live?
Upper Cornell does the important things well, at a cost. School results are strong (A+). At A− overall, Upper Cornell is better than nearly four fifths of Canadian towns and ranks #123 of 858 in Ontario. Health is a strength (A). The trade-off is cost of living (C−). Jobs & income is weaker too (C+).
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety less sure: this is the whole city's figure, because the city doesn't publish open neighbourhood crime rates. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
How Upper Cornell grades
Each subject compares Upper Cornell with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Upper Cornell stand out
The 3 things Upper Cornell does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Upper Cornell.
Upper Cornell has 15 of its 27 tested schools in the top fifth in Ontario
Schooling here is split between 2 boards, below Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3) alike. Bill Hogarth Secondary School is the biggest, at 2,055 students. None of them teaches in French, though one in ten schools in Ontario do. In or within 3 km of Upper Cornell: 23 elementary schools and 4 secondary schools, with 17,585 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Walnut Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 745 | English public |
| Bill Hogarth Secondary School Top fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 2,055 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Upper Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Expect 86.3 years of life in the region around Upper Cornell, 4.8 above the typical Canadian town
The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the York Regional Health Unit
Self-rated health is ordinary for Ontario: 51% of the region’s adults say very good or excellent, the province 51%. On average 16% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, below Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Upper Cornell is well placed: 1.8 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Upper Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 86.3 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Smokers | 10% | 10% | 12% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Upper Cornell faces fewer hazards than 88% of Canadian towns
No wildfire is mapped within 25 km of Upper Cornell’s homes since 1986 (0% of the land, 0.001% a year). 2 flood studies cover the town, the latest by Toronto Regional Conservation Authority. Upper Cornell shares its earthquake risk numbers with the rest of the city of Markham.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Upper Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 0% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.034 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Upper Cornell is a town of owners: 90% of households own their home, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
A year’s rent came to 19% of the median household income, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%). 25% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Upper Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 90% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 25% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 19% | 22% | 20% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: one figure for all of the Toronto metro area
Upper Cornell gets a B+ for safety
Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the York Region service area
The index for the force that serves it came to 53, lower than both Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67). Its police area records 21.4 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 9.7 violent incidents are reported each year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Upper Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 21.4 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 67 | 76 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 53 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Trips to work from Upper Cornell take longer than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 34 min on average
The car took 89% of commuters, close to both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Upper Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 34 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 89% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Upper Cornell has warmer summers than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: July afternoons reach 27.3°C
Between the last spring frost, 3 May, and the first in autumn, 13 October, lie 161 days. Winter lows average −10.1°C in January, lower than Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) yet higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). January is the snowiest month, with 40 cm on average. Rain and snow peak in June, at 87 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Upper Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 27.3°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −10.1°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 145 | 139 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Toronto Buttonville (Airport))
Visible minorities make up more of Upper Cornell than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 74%
People 65 and over make up 14% of the town, below both Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%). Children under 15 count for a fifth of the people here.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
50.5% of Upper Cornell’s residents are women
Here the census found 4,190 women and 4,115 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Upper Cornell | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 66% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 14% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 63% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
In Upper Cornell, November normally means 7°C afternoons and −1°C nights
Snow is normal by November, about 12 cm over the month. Then December: 2°C by day, −6°C at night. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 77 mm. Across the year, normals run from −10°C nights in January to 27°C afternoons in July.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −9°C | 177 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 1°C | 211 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 14°C | 244 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 5°C | 230 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Toronto Buttonville (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page
Council seats in Markham are spread thin, 28,580 residents each, more than in 97% of Ontario municipalities
Upper Cornell is part of Markham, which elected Frank Scarpitti as mayor in October 2022.
| Turnout | Upper Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 32% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Markham public library logs 6.9 visits per person served, more than 94% of Ontario’s town libraries
The library figures on this page are Markham’s: Markham public library serves all 365,051 people of the city, Upper Cornell among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Upper Cornell borders Rouge National Urban Park
Parks and reserves take up just over a tenth of the ground within 10 km, above Ontario’s towns (2.3%) and Canadian towns (2.3%) alike. 15 km from town is Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. 49% of the neighbourhood lies within a protected area. The 10 km around town hold 9 protected areas.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Upper Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 12% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 1 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Upper Cornell
Upper Cornell Park (Water Park) and 4 more in and around Upper Cornell
Sights in Upper Cornell and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
National park · Parks CanadaRouge National Urban Park1.7 km outside town, to the east
MuseumMarkham Museum1.2 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumBurkholder House1.3 km outside town, to the southwestTheme parkTheme parkMarkham Fairgrounds4.1 km outside town, to the westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Rouge National Urban Park: Paul Gierszewski ( Gierszep ), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Markham Museum: Zhangj1079, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Upper Cornell
Neighbourhood in Markham
Where Upper Cornell begins and ends inside Markham is TownRatings’s line, traced along census dissemination areas and named after the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 8,304 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Markham
- Census subdivision
- 3519036
Upper Cornell’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Cornell | 8,304 | — | A− | C− | B+ | A |
| Cornell | 22,014 | 1.2 | A− | D | B+ | A |
| Greensborough | 19,270 | 1.8 | A− | D | B+ | A |
| Mount Joy | 8,345 | 2.7 | A− | D | B+ | A |
| Markham Village | 10,319 | 2.8 | A− | D− | B+ | A |
| Wismer Commons | 20,591 | 3.6 | B+ | D | B+ | A |
| Box Grove | 25,496 | 5 | A− | D | B+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).